Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-04


IT WAS EXPLODED TO-DAY.
The ssery Assas the ,nfsrnal Machine
for The Chief Justice.
TIE ANAAcHur TURING OUT 10 BIZ prprsu YOUNG
NrwsrAfna wRIrIR WHO WANTED TO PLAY
'oKE-fHs CONTINUANCE a uAnhIxss oxR-rHE
YOUNG NAN PUT UNDER ARREST cHARGBp WITH
CONSPIRACY 10 DEYRAuD.
special-deEvery messenger from the city
post-on1ce called at the home OF Chief Justice
waite 14l5 street northwest about $50 O'Clock
last evening, and handed the servant q small fiat
pasteooard box addressed to the Chief Justice
Ihe family was At the time seated at the dinner
table. The servant, under the impression that the
package was An important one, delivered IL at
once to the gentleman to whom IL was addressed.
Inc Cniei justice. after cursorily looking at the
ADDRESS proceeded to open the box, and a. soon as
pc mao got the cover far enough removed ne saw
t ~ contained strange contrfvance-a glass
what looked like gunpowd witt percussion caps in
the emu OF the tuOe. and Jew Inches OF fine wire
sttached The Chief Justice, without giving any
oox TO another room, and then re1oined his family
In the dining room
how IT BECAME Known
1t Is probable that the matter would have been
Investigated quietly by the Chief Justice If 1t had
not been for another occurrence about the same
time: SherDurne g. Hopkins, q young man who
has done work for various newspaper Correspond
ents IN Newspaper Row, went to two OF the CORE
sp0noents and TOLD them OF Q mysterious and sus-
nvere0 at the Chief Justices house. The idea, Of
course, was at once uppermoet that perhaps some
agent or sympathizer OF the condemned anar-
cn!sts mad sought TO express disapproval OF the
opiAion In the anarchists case delivered by the
Snlet Justice wednesday, and At the same time
Explosive infsrn s anS o. ss Sen a
Justice The newspaper correspondents mt
once went TO the house Of the Chief Justice, where
ceived. Its dangerous appearance put a serious
phase on the ansir. and the two correspondents
VAIN the consent OF the Chief Justice took the box
story were laid before Sergeant Holinberger, who
Is In charge OF the detective oflce at night Ser
Justice. learned what facts The CHIEF Justice had
70 communicate, and then proceeded TO ascertain
Mnat FACTS ne could learn last night. The machine
was not tempered with, of course, last night but
was kept intact at police headquarters.
QUESTIONING H0PKfNa
Having thoroughly inspected the box, Sergeant
Hollinberger next sought what Information he
could get from Hopkins, the young man VINO had
spread tue news, ana bis statement led 10 suspi-
cl0n That the whole affair had been devised for the
purpose or producing q sensational newspaper
story, and that there WAS nothing TO explode ex-
eept the story His story as told to sergeant Hol-
standing at one Of the Writing desks IN the lobby
OF the post-office about O'Clock last evenin, he
had occasion to reach over . msn1 shoul-
DER 70. q pen, and noticed casually that he
was addressing package to Chief Justice Waite
Al the time he paid no attention 70 the matter
but as he walked down the street 1t occurred TO
MIN tnat there might be some plot afOOt, and he
determined TO investigate the matter. He has
tened TO the residence OF the Chief Justice, In
II mad not he then returned to the city post-of1ce
and ascertained that the box had been taken to
the Chief Justices house by W. j. Hickey messen-
ger boy No. IA His next move Was TO go to the
newspaper correspondents with his story. Hop
xins was questioned closely as to the appearance
could give only partial and vague description.
CONTINUING THE INVESTIGATION TO-DAY.
This morning, Inspector Swindells, Of the de-
tective corps, had the box locked up In the cup
board In his of1ce. 1t WAS the common theme OF
tax among the police officers and various public
omclais VINO called at police Headquarters Ser
Gednt honnDeTger said that Hopkins statement
was very plausible. Inspector Swlndels and all
the omcers Inclined TO the opinion tuat the box
mad Deen prepared and sentin order 10 make a sen
satlOnai story, and that II was harmless. They
did not, however, want 70 announce their opinion
until more thorough investigation had been
made.
1T all depends" said Inspector Swindells, ION
the character OF the contents the tube. II 1t Is
snown 70 DO dangerous explosive then the affair
The box was sent this morning to the District
Chemist for an examination OF It's contents and
che detectives were out gathering what facts they
could.
WHAT CHIEF JUSTICE WAITE sAra
STAR reporter saw Chief Justice Waite at his
house this morning. He was not at all excited
over the receipt Of the alleged "lnfernal machine
he said he did not think the machine was DANGER
no 1ntention OF saying Anything further about IT,
lie had not intended even TO call the attention OF
bis associate justices to II. The weak Character
or the box would have prevented its offering re-
sistance enough TO cause explosion, II the con-
tents were explosive. without uelng absolutely
certain, he assumed at once that It was hoax A
young Called soon after It's receipt to inQulre
about the machine, but did not appear to nave
any good excuse Tor thinking such q package
had been received. ne Gne Cnlef Justice> would
young man 70 md out what lie knew about II,
and tod him to come back II he lear ned more. He
did come back later, with the receipt OF the Post
Uffice for the delivery or the package. Mr.. Waite
said he then acknowledged the receipt or the box,
but refused 20 show IL or describe IL In any Way.
Ne understood that the young man was mr.. HOP
ktnS
Later the Chief Justice said Mr. Pepper, of the
Chicago Tribune, anu Mr.. Winnie, OF the CONNER
Knew OF them he detailed the circumstances u
them and showed them the box. II was then de-
cided that the police ought 70 be notined even If
were hoax, that they mlgnt discover and punish
the culprit. Mr.. Waite said he thought 1t might
have been the work OF man trying 70 get up a
dice the cases of the anarchisIs to prevent
the possibility OF their being pardoned.
In either Case ne did not want any publicity given
TO the matter, and requested the newspaper nen
not TO publish It. Ill were Intended 70 iDjure the
Chances or the anarchists ne Was not Wiling 1t
should be accomplished through him.
oFFExING THE sTU..I FOR SALE ON NEWSPAPER ROW.
MI. W. E. Curtis, Of the Chicago Ne,cs, to whom
he sold the story, exclusive for the West" made
the following statement to a STAR reporter:
"Mr Hopkins came to my office about half-p
Z or O'clock and told me that he had great
sensation; that the anarchists had sent a bomb
to Chief Justice Waite. i asked now he had
learned or IL. do not remember the exact words
had got It socially from some guest In tho Chief
Justices house. / told him to write 1t out In full
aud would buy IL, II exclusive. He said he would
not sell 1t to any one else, but that his
partner had prOmis 1t " an Eastern paper
that would not conflict with mine. 1 went 70
Chief Justice Waite's house TO verify the story,
and was lold there that box had been received;
Justice did not consider IL important and desired
nothing said about II In the newspapers. About
10 O'Clock Mr.. Hopkins furnished me with the
count, which did not send az 1t was too sensa-
uonaL made paragraph covering the facts"
The story was also 0nefcd for sale to MeSSrs.
Pepper and ynne, who did not believe In It's
truth, and called on the Chief Justice for state
geant or police. The conclusion reached by them
tnen was that IL was hoax, but o. course they
could not be absolutely certain. They all kept
Ar. HOpkinY manuscript and cross-Quesuoned
him very closely. Mr.. Pepper says that tue Story
told him by Mr.. Hopkins was That he saw The ad-
post-of1ce. THIS connlcts with what Mr.. curtis
says hopkins told him. 1he story tod Chief JUS
uce Waite was that two men were overheard
speaking OF the matter In q street car, but Mr..